SUGAR ADDICT

Options
sarah307
sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
How do I start to decrease my sugar intake?

*What are some tips to do this?
*If you've focused on decreasing your sugar intake, what kinds of things did you do??
*WHAT IS A GOOD GOAL FOR HOW MANY GRAMS OF SUGAR PER DAY TO START OFF WITH????

I understand there is no daily requirements for sugar intake. But seems kind of impossible? Especially for a junk food junkie like me. and I drink a lot of milk / eat a lot of dairy products too. LOL I'd love to slowly decrease my sugar intake because I know it's not good for me and I KNOW I'll feel so much better once I start... and I KNOW it'll get easier once I get over the first few weeks.

I gave up soda for like a year and half once and after about a month, i was repulsed by the idea of soda :) So I know I can do this!! But I don't know how?!! I've been doing pretty good lately, but have my occasional binges of ice cream, candy, and diet soda :)

*THANKS*

Replies

  • _Peacebone_
    _Peacebone_ Posts: 229 Member
    Options
    I can't speak from personal experience, but a girl that I work with actually cut out all sugar (besides those found in fruits/veggies etc) for a whole month!

    Now she doesn't add sugar to anything and can actually taste sweetness in things that I didn't even know were sweet.
  • drivermarshy
    Options
    i agree with the above. at the start of my weight loss plan i craved chocolate etc, now ive cut all fizzy drinks and bad sugars i can taste the natural sugar in my foods and crave fruit more than i do the "bad" sugars :)
  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,366 Member
    Options
    I'm referring to refined and artificial sugars here:
    I just quit cold turkey. After 3-4 days of headaches and misery, the "addiction" was broken. I didn't crave it anymore after that. I didn't eat it again for months. But I will warn you that when you return to refined sugar, the feeling of need for it also returns, so tread lightly. I'm able to control it better now that I've learned to stay away from it for so long. Fruits do eventually satisfy the desire for something sweet. You just have to get used to not having other things instead. That's tough.
  • sarah307
    sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
    Options
    oh goodness :) what am i getting myself into...

    hmmm .. cold turkey cutting out sugars?? (besides natural sugars of course)

    I'm thinking about it....
  • widmar
    widmar Posts: 72
    Options
    I am right there with you. I really NEED to cut out sugar. It is a serious addiction for me. I want to go cold turkey, but am afraid of what my family may have to go through.. LOL.
    There is a book called "Get The Sugar Out". You can get if online. I have it but can't seem to find it right now... must mean I really didn't want to read it. LOL
  • Summerleahd
    Summerleahd Posts: 314 Member
    Options
    I'm not sure what you eat in a day. But this is what helped me. And I still haven't controlled it completely yet I really should go cold turkey. I did it once before and it worked up till I got depressed again and gave up.

    These are some things I did...coffee creamer in the morning, I would just dump the stuff in and I always used French vanilla creamer. And it almost always put me over first thing the morning. So I switched to fat free half and half, it took a couple days to get used to it but it worked. And I can't eat sugar in the morning. If u do, I crave it all day. So no coffee creamer, fruits, or any of those sugar breakfast items. I'm also a big ice cream addict. First I switched from using regular bowls to my toddlers bowls. (I have a food scale but for some reason I just ignored it when it came to ice cream I just HAD to fill the bowl up lol) then I cut it from everyday to once a week, and now I'm working in having it once a month and going out to get it.

    Edit to add: I also stopped drinking milk. Unless I needed calories at the end of the day then I would have chocolate milk. Or just use it for cereal. That helped me cut a lot of sugar out. And by doing this and the ice cream I realizes that dairy makes me bloated and gassy. And just plain miserable the next day, like a hangover
  • sarah307
    sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
    Options
    great tips guys!!!

    i think i am going to go cold turkey!
    i eat a lot of ice cream / and would like to stop that cause i feel like **** afterwards anyways :D LOL

    and I eat cereal EVERY SINGLE DAY.. so that'll be hard to get different breakfast items..

    i also eat a lot protein bars.. i usually get the lower sugar ones but still they have a lot of sugar haha
  • sarah307
    sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
    Options
    How much sugar is OK to eat? The World Health Organization suggests that healthy people limit added sugar intake to 10% of total daily calories. On a 2,000-calorie diet, that translates into a maximum 50 grams of added sugar a day (12 ounces of regular soda supplies 35 grams; one teaspoon of table sugar contains 4).

    from WebMD article
    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/sugar-fix
  • libland
    libland Posts: 285 Member
    Options
    Try starting to cut it out on the first day of your period. That is usually when I don't feel like eating much (because I gorged myself the week before?). I am on day 6 of restarting my journey and not feeling the need for sugar or grease... for the last year I haven't been able to make it past day 4 or 5 so I am feeling pretty confident this time. Hopefully, MFP support will keep me on track.



    weight.png
  • borys12
    borys12 Posts: 98
    Options
    I can't speak from personal experience, but a girl that I work with actually cut out all sugar (besides those found in fruits/veggies etc) for a whole month!

    Now she doesn't add sugar to anything and can actually taste sweetness in things that I didn't even know were sweet.

    I have the same taste. After cold turkey can't bear usuall sweets anymore.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Options
    As long as you have no medical conditions, and create that calorie deficit, sugar is largely irrelevant. I haven't tracked my sugar at all, and I've never felt fitter, stronger, healthier. I did a quick report on my sugar, and i was pretty much double everyday!

    Without sugar, this wouldn't be sustainable for me. Calories are the universal nutrient that determines how good things taste! :P
  • Fletch0502
    Options
    I wouldnt worry too much about counting sugar calories from fruit/veggies. But i would limit fruit intake to no more than 2 servings a day. Fruit is healthy of course but for weight loss its still a lot of carbs and sugar. Just get white sugar out of your diet ! its bad bad bad girl! Eventually once you feel able to eat sweets with control, try baking with molasses, honey, agave, or even maple syrup! its fun and way healthier and not as addicting.

    You should google the horrible things sugar does to your body and maybe itll help you pass it up. Also have you ever heard or read the book called "Skinny *****"? Its a great book but it does promote veganism which i disagree with (meat is heathy in my opinion). Also, i know tv and ads says milk is good for you, but let me tell you milk will make you fat! Some people will disagree with me, everyone's body is different and not everyone is affected by it. But after i learned of my dairy intolerance i did a lot of research on milk and did not like what i learned. Think about it, cows milk is used to grow a tiny baby calf into a thousand pound cow..If you ever have time i recommend the skinny ***** book, julian michaels has a good bood one about eating right for your hormones and body. And ive read a lot of others.

    Also just remember, as women, our weight will always always fluncuate. This is why it is important to always eat healthy and not freak out when you do gain a little, because that stress causes more eating which causes more weight gain. If you go up 5 pounds, dont worry, just log all your food, exercise and let time go by and before ya know it youll be back where you want to be. That is how i got in trouble last year, i went from 125 to 134 in about 2 months and FREAKED OUT which lead to me gaining another 15 pounds because i thought "what the heck im already fat might as well eat everything else in sight" lol bad thinking. And more important than how we look on the outside, it is important to be healthy on the inside. Because right now youre young and can handle a lot, but once you get a little older, if you dont practice healthy lifestyle and eating habits, certain health issues can arise and itll be a whole other ball game to deal with. well that is what happened to be at leaste..
    iHope any of this helps ! Remember everything in moderation!
  • hikeout470
    hikeout470 Posts: 628 Member
    Options
    Get away from the sugar. Early 90's when carbs were the "way to go" I was trying to diagnose a problem I was having and I totally eliminated all sugar from my diet for several months. Found the problem, which was caused by something totally different. But I have never since been a sweets person. Looking back, I was addicted to sweets. Now I am free.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Options
    Also, i know tv and ads says milk is good for you, but let me tell you milk will make you fat!

    So, even if i create a calorie deficit, I'd end up fat if i drink milk? Just because calves drink the milk and end up 1,000 lbs?

    *sigh*
  • christybrooker
    Options
    Try sweetening things with Stevia. It's a great option that doesn't get processed by your body the same way as sugar does. It's natural and not an artificial sweetener. You can pick it up a health food stores and many regular grocery stores now.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Options
    Stevia? I wouldn't touch that stuff with a barge pole...

    Dangers of Stevia

    Stevia has been linked to several long term side effects which has made it a reason for controversy and doubt in the recent years. Although it has been used since centuries by the natives, there are several claimed dangers of stevia. The following are some of the claimed dangers or side effects of stevia.

    * Firstly, it is said to be the biggest hindrance in the process of metabolism in the body. Regular consumption of stevia slows down or stops energy metabolism and hence, disrupt the process of conversion of food into energy.

    * Secondly, one of the biggest stevia dangers is its link to cancer. When tested in a laboratory, it was found that stevia was capable of bringing mutations in cell's DNA or the genetic material. This is only a claimed side effect as this effect has not been observed in human beings till date. However, scientists and researchers have still not confirmed whether stevia can cause this mutation in human beings or not.

    * Thirdly, difficulties or problems in reproduction is also believed to be one of the stevia side effects. Long term regular consumption of stevia is claimed to affect the male reproduction system, specially leading to a decreased amount of sperm production. When tested on female animal, it was found that stevia led to decreased number of offsprings.

    http://www.30thstreetclinic.com/general-reviews/100-stevia-dangers.html
  • christybrooker
    Options
    Stevia? I wouldn't touch that stuff with a barge pole...

    Dangers of Stevia

    Stevia has been linked to several long term side effects which has made it a reason for controversy and doubt in the recent years. Although it has been used since centuries by the natives, there are several claimed dangers of stevia. The following are some of the claimed dangers or side effects of stevia.

    * Firstly, it is said to be the biggest hindrance in the process of metabolism in the body. Regular consumption of stevia slows down or stops energy metabolism and hence, disrupt the process of conversion of food into energy.

    * Secondly, one of the biggest stevia dangers is its link to cancer. When tested in a laboratory, it was found that stevia was capable of bringing mutations in cell's DNA or the genetic material. This is only a claimed side effect as this effect has not been observed in human beings till date. However, scientists and researchers have still not confirmed whether stevia can cause this mutation in human beings or not.

    * Thirdly, difficulties or problems in reproduction is also believed to be one of the stevia side effects. Long term regular consumption of stevia is claimed to affect the male reproduction system, specially leading to a decreased amount of sperm production. When tested on female animal, it was found that stevia led to decreased number of offsprings.

    http://www.30thstreetclinic.com/general-reviews/100-stevia-dangers.html

    They say basically the same things about chemical sugar substitutes. I'd rather put something taken directly from a plant in my body then a chemical like aspartame. I'll look into what you said tho.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Options
    I only post that to show that anything can be considered "bad" for you. So you either take it all on board, and eat nothing, or just take your chances and eat everything :)

    I love aspartame incidentally, it's been great for me :D